Helix and Hooves: Trainers of the Future

by The Kelduo

Chapter 16: Second Visit to Motostoke

At this point of time, the sun was setting over the outskirts of Motostoke. Because of that, the night-dwelling Noctowl in the area were becoming more active, and there were many of them in the grass just outside of Galar Mine 2.

I expected the Doctor to go for one of the Noctowl or tree-imitating Pokemon known as Sudowoodo, but he instead caught himself a Koffing, a purple ball filled with noxious gases. His reasoning? "I wouldn't be surprised if the smoke given off by Motostoke or the energy plants built by Chairman Rose are what either created or attracted this Pokemon of pollution. I'll have to do some research on Koffing sometime."

As for me, I decided to catch one of the Hatenna. Because of my species' naturally calm demeanor, I was able to capture it without many problems. If it weren't for my calmness, the Hatenna would've teleported away long before I even got close to any of them.

I found an Amulet Coin behind the nearby sign and gave it to the Doctor. I was already prepared with several items before visiting Galar, so I didn't need the extra dose of cash that the Amulet Coin would earn me from battles.

There were some Great Balls in a bare part of the southern patch of grass. I took them just in case I found a stronger Pokemon native to Galar that I wanted to add to my team.

A rock to the north had a bottle of PP Up resting on it, but I let the Doctor take it; although it's good to maximize your Power Points, my poor luck with lottery tickets in other regions earned me more PP Up than I wanted or needed.

Near a sign pointing towards Motostoke, there was an elder lady prepared for battle. I took her on while the Doctor challenged a Police Officer not too far ahead. I thought I heard a sparkling sound, but it was probably just my imagination. Not letting my curiosity distract me from the battle, I used Rev Rock to defeat her Yamper and Gyarados to tear into her Swoobat.

With the two Trainers out of the way, the Doctor and I made our way along the rest of the straight and uneventful path that made up the Motostoke Outskirts, picking up a few Feathers that had fallen onto the stone bridge. Taking a quick peek over the edge of the bridge, I saw a small island surrounded by a pond on the path towards a large city that was strikingly similar to Motostoke, except that it had a dragon motif. There was a lone Pokemon residing on the island, sitting under a berry tree. I noticed that it was wearing a necklace that had a gemstone embedded in it. Recognizing the necklace, I waved at the Pokemon. It waved back at me.

His attention grabbed by my waving, the Doctor followed my gaze. "Might I ask who you are waving towards? My eyesight isn't nearly as good as that of owls."

"If you want to take a gander at who I'm waving at, just use the zoom function on your Rotom Phone's camera and look towards that little island right over there." I pointed with my wing.

"Alright, thanks. I might need a moment, though." The Doctor opened the camera app and tried to use his hooves to zoom in. After a few attempts, he simply gave up and let Rotom do the zooming for him because of his hooves' size and lack of flexibility. Then he pointed the camera towards the island, focusing on a white and green, bipedal Pokemon with blade-like extensions on its elbows and a teal head crest. "How fascinating! That Pokemon is the very image of a noble warrior!"

"He most certainly is." I introduced the Pokemon as I recalled memories of sparring with it. "That is Gallade, the blade Pokemon. A Psychic- and Fighting-type, it uses the blades on its elbows to defend its Trainer and friends, even risking its own life for them. Gallade are also able to read the minds of their opponents and predict their moves." From my Key Items pocket, I took out a golden, winged badge with a Poke Ball insignia on it and showed it to Gallade. The Pokemon responded by holding up its own badge. "And judging from the badge he is brandishing, this specific Gallade must be a member of the Pokemon Expedition Society."

"Pokemon what now?"

"The Pokemon Expedition Society, often abbreviated as P.E.S. It's an organization run exclusively by Pokemon." Reaching into my Key Items pocket again, I pulled out a circular device with a teal screen and six spheres embedded into the outside of it, each sphere a different color. "Members of the P.E.S. go on missions to help Pokemon in need, using their Expedition Gadgets to locate said Pokemon and communicate with each other." I held the blue sphere on the Gadget up to the Doctor's eyes so he could get a good look at it. "By aiding Pokemon in ways big and small, P.E.S. members connect with them and reach out to the Pokemon with whom they have connected. This Connection Orb displays all the Pokemon that the corresponding P.E.S. member has either met or connected with."

"Who knew that Pokemon of all creatures were such an advanced species? Not only have they formed an entire organization, let alone one that helps them bond with others, but they have even developed a device that shows every Pokemon they know and trust!" The Doctor's eyes darted from Pokemon to Pokemon in the Connection Orb, moving along the lines connecting each Pokemon. "What about these lines, though?"

"Those lines indicate a personal tie or bond between Pokemon." I swiped a feather along the Orb, spinning it to a group of five Pokemon all connected by lines: Magmortar, Electivire, Rhyperior, Pangoro, and Dragalge. "Take these Pokemon, for instance. They used to be partners in crime, but now they live a friendlier lifestyle together after realizing that they've been roped into committing crimes by a certain Zoroark. The five Pokemon sincerely apologized for their wrongdoings and returned to the path of righteousness."

"Just goes to show you that even the worst of creatures can be turned good when you take the right approach." We continued walking towards Motostoke. "By the way, it seems like you and that Gallade know each other well. And not just 'coworkers' well. Are the two of you friends?"

"Yes, by all means. And that Gallade was no ordinary Gallade. He is one of various elite members of the P.E.S. known as..." I put away the Expedition Gadget and badge before raising my wing towards the sky. "...Master Pokemon! They are a group of individual Pokemon who each specialize in one type or stat. The Gallade I saw on the islet was the Psychic-type Master Pokemon, which means he would very easily beat other Psychic-type Pokemon in battle, perhaps even Legendary Psychic-type Pokemon such as Deoxys!"

"Deoxys? As in deoxyribonucleic acid, the genetic instructions for all life? A Legendary Pokemon based on the molecules that make up life itself..." The Doctor's eyes sparkled with curiosity. "Are there other notable Legendary Pokemon that have amazing origins or powers?"

"Definitely!" I began to name some Legendary Pokemon important to the Pokemon world. "Many Legendary Pokemon exist in the world of Pokemon, but I'll name just a few. There's Dialga, the Pokemon deity of time; Xerneas, the Pokemon with the power to give life energy; and Mewtwo, which was cloned from Mew's DNA by scientists in an attempt to create the most powerful Pokemon in the world."

As I described the Legendary Pokemon, the Doctor was as childishly excited as a Swirlix in a cotton candy factory. "I do hope it isn't too demanding for me to want to meet a Legendary Pokemon in person!"

"Sadly, for most Pokemon Trainers, it is quite demanding." With an intrigued look in my eyes, I thought back to the Slumbering Weald. Those Pokemon we encountered... Perhaps they were Legendary Pokemon. "Unless you're determined enough to either trek all the way to a Legendary Pokemon's home or challenge a powerful Trainer such as Red or Lucas with his strongest Pokemon team, you're out of luck."

"Challenge a powerful Trainer?" The Doctor came right to a standstill. "You mean to tell me that there are Trainers who have managed to catch Legendary Pokemon?!"

"Why so surprised? You know two such Trainers." I held up two of the finger-like feathers on my wing. "Keldeo and Meloetta are both Legendary Pokemon, and you and I challenged both of their Trainers to a Pokemon battle since we set foot--or hoof, in your case--in the Galar region. Although, the two Pokemon allowed themselves to be caught so they could go on an adventure, but still..."

"Keldeo and Meloetta are Legendary Pokemon? When I think of Legendary, I think of a gargantuan beast with powers that cannot be paralleled by anything except for other Legendary Pokemon. I find it hard to believe that a unicorn colt with a blue horn and a bipedal singer could have that kind of might."

"Never judge a book by its cover. And besides, you've never seen Keldeo battle without holding anything back. Of course you wouldn't believe how strong he is." I chuckled. "Trust me, you'll believe me when you see Keldeo battle using 100% of his power in the Champion Cup."

An understandably distrusting and baffled look on the Doctor's face, we proceeded into Budew Drop Inn.

---

In the lobby of the inn, we found Marnie looking up at the statue of the legendary hero that saved Galar from the Darkest Day. Then she looked down at the plaque and read it. "So this is the hero of the Darkest Day, huh? Kinda weird how it doesn't even name the hero..."

Ears twitching, her rodent Pokemon noticed our presence. It tugged on her hand. "Marnie, Marnie, look!"

"Take it easy, Morpeko! I don't wanna get all out of joint." Marnie turned around and saw us. "Oh, looks like a couple o' Gym Challengers already made it back to Motostoke. That sure was quick of you two."

"Speak for yourself," the Doctor replied. "You got back here before either of us!"

"Yeah, well, that's only 'cause I took on the Gym Challenge before." Marnie showed us the Town Map on her Rotom Phone. "I've been around Galar, so I can just catch a Flyin' Taxi to get to each of the cities." She put away the phone. "Hey, ain't you two of the Trainers who put Team Yell in their place yesterday after they held up the inn?"

"That's right," I said. "My name's Helix, and this is Doctor Whooves. Pleased to make your acquaintance!"

She shook my hand and the Doctor's hoof. "Nice t' meet the two of ya! Sure looks like you're out givin' it your all. Same here. I don't wanna disappoint my big bro." She put a hand to her chin. "Say, I'd like to see if either of you're ready for the third leg of the Gym Challenge."

"A warm-up the night before Motostoke Gym?" The Doctor stepped forward with a smile. "Alright, I'm up for a Pokemon battle with you. I'll do my very best!"

"Just wicked!" A small grin appeared on Marnie's face. "No doubt about it, you're a Trainer who gives everything a hundred and ten percent!" As she spoke, a pair of Team Yell Grunts showed up to cheer Marnie on, the male holding another of those Team Yell megaphones like we saw yesterday during our fight with them, and the female holding a banner of Marnie. "But I've also got a lot o' fight in me, and so do my Pokemon!" From a Dusk Ball, she sent out a purple feline Pokemon with a yellow underside and rings of yellow all over its body. "Go get 'em, Liepard!"

After taking a moment to check Liepard's Pokedex entry, the Doctor thought for a moment. "A Dark type, I see. I've got a Pokemon with an advantage, but this time..." He decided on using his Toxtricity. "Okay, it's your turn, Tox Shox!"

Tox Shox? I was impressed, but I shouldn't have been. It was a simple yet exceptional nickname that any self-respecting person could come up with for a Poison- and Electric-type Pokemon. It's like nicknaming an Alolan Geodude Shock Rock.

"Fake Out!" Before Tox Shox or the Doctor got the chance to react, Liepard leapt forward and clapped its paws together, sending a small shock wave of air that caused Tox Shox to flinch. "Now use Hone Claws!" Liepard scraped its claws along the floor to sharpen them, much to the disapproval of the hotel's receptionist.

The Doctor's face distorted bitterly from the priority move that's the bane of competitive Pokemon players. "Impressive preemptive strike, but we won't let that deter us! Use Taunt on that sneaky little feline!"

After recovering from the Fake Out, Tox Shox menacingly looked down on Liepard. "Fighting a guy like me ain't no joke, pussycat. Either get serious, or don't bother with me at all."

"Ex-CUSE me?!" Liepard hissed, her pupils turning into slits. "You better watch that mouth of yours! Nobody DARES call me a pussycat!" She lunged at Tox Shox with her claws out.

"Dodge and use Nuzzle!" Tox Shox jumped over Liepard and slapped her with an electrified hand, sending numbness all throughout her body and paralyzing her. "Now go for Acid Spray!" He strummed the protrusions on his chest, and he threw the resulting acids at Liepard.

"Nuzzle and Acid Spray? Dang, looks like you're ready to hit real hard and fast without much retaliation..." Marnie's expression sharpened a small amount. "C'mon, Liepard! Don't let the paralysis mess with you too much! Use Night Slash!" Resisting the paralysis, Liepard held its right paw up, and it glowed purple as it prepared to strike.

The Doctor's eyes narrowed as he smirked. "I knew using Taunt was a good idea! It's time for Shock Wave!" Tox Shox strummed the protrusions with both hands, causing a blue sphere of energy to form at the tip of the horn between his electric frills. Unable to stop in time, Liepard's paw struck the sphere, at which point blue electricity flooded her body and knocked her out.

"What the?! My Liepard didn't even get to land a hit after that Fake Out..." Marnie withdrew her Liepard. "You're mighty good for a newbie Trainer, y'know that? I've been holdin' back since you're a rookie, but it looks like I'd better step it up a few notches!" Next, she sent out a blue frog Pokemon with a large red vocal sac and a red claw on the back of each of its hands. "Put that Toxtricity in its place, Toxicroak!"

"We'll see about that! Tox Shox, use Nuzzle again!"

"Not this time! Bash 'em with Sucker Punch!" Toxicroak stepped to its right, deftly avoiding Tox Shox's electrified palm, to the latter's shock. Then it struck the back of Tox Shox's head with its hand, making him land face-first on the carpet. "That's it! Now keep using Poison Jab!" It repeatedly thrust its red claws into Tox Shox's back while he was down.

"Don't give up! Grab his hand, then use Nuzzle!" On the next Poison Jab, Tox Shox took hold of Toxicroak's hand and sent electricity surging through his body, stunning him temporarily. "Get up and use Spark!" Tox Shox rolled away and headbutted Toxicroak with his electric frills. "There we go! Now Shock Wave!" As with Liepard, Toxicroak was finished off with Shock Wave.

"Ya did good, Toxicroak. Go ahead and take a rest." Marnie returned Toxicroak to its Dusk Ball. "It's your turn now, Scrafty!" She sent out a bipedal orange lizard Pokemon with a red crest on its head, a permanently-sneering mouth, and loose yellow skin resembling a hood and baggy trousers.

"Okay, Tox Shox, I think you deserve a break." The Doctor returned Tox Shox to his Luxury Ball before looking up the hoodlum Pokemon's Pokedex entry. "Scraggy's evolution, eh? It's time for Echo to shine!" He sent out his Noibat. "Baffle them with Double Team!" Echo flew around rapidly, causing the illusion of several Noibat swarming the area.

I snickered to myself. He should've called it Echo Echo.

"Playin' it safe, I see..." Marnie stood firm while Scrafty cautiously watched Echo and his illusory copies. "Then we're gonna find the real deal one way or another! Use Headbutt on every Noibat you see!" The Dark- and Fighting-type Pokemon recklessly jumped around, slamming its rock-hard head into every Echo in its sight, only to pass through the illusions.

"Wait for my cue, Echo..." The Doctor's ears were clearly tuned in to the battle, for they were swiveling around as if they were locked onto something. "Wait..." Scrafty continued to headbutt to no avail. Once its sights settled on one of the four remaining bats, the Doctor's expression sharpened. "Supersonic! Now!"

Scrafty jumped towards the Echo, but the Flying and Dragon type released powerful sound waves from its ears at point-blank range, sending Scrafty backwards and making him hold his head in agony. Marnie's eyes widened. "How'd ya even know which Noibat was which, Doc?!"

The Doctor pointed at his ears with a confident smile. "Never underestimate a pony's sense of hearing, Marnie. Our ears can pinpoint sounds like targeting reticles, so locating the real Echo was no problem for me. But that's enough about ponies. Echo, use Gust, then unleash a barrage of Wing Attacks!" Echo flung Scrafty into the air with a small whirlwind, and it joined its clones to attack it with an onslaught of wing strikes. It finished by slamming Scrafty straight into the ground with one final Wing Attack.

Scrafty didn't appear to be knocked out, but Marnie withdrew it anyway. "Aight, then. That's enough, Scrafty." She motioned with her right arm, and her rodent Pokemon took Scrafty's place. "Doc, it's time for you to meet my ace, Morpeko!"

The Doctor and I looked up Morpeko's Pokedex entry. "Morpeko, the two-sided Pokemon. An Electric- and Dark-type, it is always hungry, no matter how much it eats. This is because it constantly generates electricity as it eats the berry seeds it keeps in its pouches. Intense hunger changes Morpeko into its Hangry Mode, making it extremely aggressive until its hunger is satisfied."

"What an interesting Pokemon you've got there, Marnie. I think I know which Pokemon to use to counter it." He withdrew Echo and sent out a humanoid Pokemon with a blue body and feet, and a brown head, arms, legs, and tail. Its head had a spike on top. "Here comes my whirling fortress, Topspin!"

"A Hitmontop?" That was the moment I discovered that the Doctor really was quite the special pony. "You must be pretty spot-on to train your Tyrogue with such precision! Tyrogue can only be evolved into Hitmontop if their attack and defense are equal to each other!"

"I didn't know that, but I really do appreciate the knowledge. A Hitmontop doesn't tip over and fall, because its attack and defense are perfectly balanced..." The Doctor watched Topspin turn upside-down to stand on the spike on its head without falling down. "...just as life itself should be."

"Oi, jog on, mate!" the male Team Yell Grunt complained, stomping his foot in impatience. "Are ya done runnin' yer mouth? We wanna watch Marnie and Morpeko do their thing!"

"Of course." The Doctor nodded. "You heard him, Marnie. Let's keep on battling!"

Marnie smiled. "I wasn't plannin' on quitting now. It's my duty as a Pokemon Trainer to battle!" She pumped her fist. "Morpeko, use Bullet Seed!" Morpeko shot a flurry of seeds from its mouth at Topspin.

"Dodge with Detect!" Topspin's eyes glowed light blue, and he deftly avoided all of the seeds spat at him. "Now use Gyro Ball!" Topspin quickly spun and slammed into Morpeko, sending it flying into the upper level of the Budew Drop Inn's lobby.

"Brilliant job, Topspin--huh?" The Doctor's celebratory exclamation was cut short when all of a sudden...

"What the--whoa!" The female grunt got knocked to the floor and shouted in pain. "Ow! Hey! I ain't the opposin' Pokemon, Morpeko! Someone gimme a hand!"

"I got yer back!" The male grunt ducked down and helped the female grunt out. A few seconds of struggling later, and he tossed down a very furious Morpeko with black and purple fur, as well as evil red eyes and an enraged frown. "Nobody wants t' mess with a Hangry Morpeko!"

Straight away, Morpeko charged at Topspin while covered in black electricity. "Use Revenge!" Topspin took the attack, and he became covered in an orange aura. The aura moving to his feet, Topspin struck back with a roundhouse kick.

Marnie watched Morpeko get sent into a wall. "You alright there, Morpeko?" Eating some roasted berry seeds from its pouch, Morpeko transformed back into its Full Belly mode and nodded. "Good! Then use Aura Wheel!" Morpeko formed a light blue wheel around its body and charged towards Topspin.

"Attack from the side with Triple Kick!" When the Aura Wheel got close enough, Topspin spun around and kicked Morpeko from the side, where Aura Wheel didn't cover it.

Marnie grabbed Morpeko mid-air when it got launched and cradled it in her arms. "Nice job out there. You deserve this." She fed Morpeko a Sitrus Berry to restore its health. "Maybe I shouldn't've held back so much, 'cause I used four of my best Pokemon and you still won! Know what, Doc? I think you're more than ready to take on Kabu! But first..." She headed towards the elevators. "We'd all better get a good night's sleep so we can battle at our best."

The Doctor withdrew Topspin as the elevator doors closed with Marnie inside. "I honestly didn't expect to beat her since Marnie's taken on the Gym Challenge before, although I shouldn't be surprised because she held back." He stood proud with his muzzle in the air. "But still, I'm chuffed that I beat a Trainer with more experience than me!"

"That's one of the best ways to grow stronger." I applauded the Doctor, trying my best to hide my uneasiness that resulted from the incredible skills he's learned so early in his Pokemon journey. "Beating someone stronger than you. I'm sure you learned that when your Grookey evolved while taking on that powerful Onix near the Meetup Spot."

"Such is the reason why I'm so pleased. My Pokemon need to become strong in order to have a better chance at defeating Lord Tirek!" He let out a yawn. "Great whickering stallions, that battle made me completely forget how tired I am! We really should be getting to our rooms so we can have ourselves a nice kip and wake up refreshed!"

"In that case, I'll be seeing you in the morning. Good night!" We took the elevators to the second floor so we could get in our beds to sleep for the night.